Creative NZ gives away $1m - but doesn't know where it's gone

Creative New Zealand, the Government body that gives out money for the arts, admits it has no idea how $1 million in grants has been spent.

Figures released to the Herald under the Official Information Act show that since 2000, Creative New Zealand has given out 96 grants totalling $1.03 million for which it has received no reports back from artists detailing how the money was spent or if the projects have been completed.

In some cases Creative New Zealand says it cannot find artists, artists' companies have gone into liquidation or artists have said they have sent reports but they have never been received.

Artists receiving Creative New Zealand funding are required to report back to the organisation after completing their projects to say how the money was spent.

Creative New Zealand chief executive Elizabeth Kerr said that since January 2000 there were 220 projects where no reports had been received although Creative New Zealand was aware that 124 of the projects had been completed and in two cases the artists had died.

She said the 96 cases where no reports were received and Creative New Zealand had no details of where the money went represented only 3.2 per cent of grants given out over the past five years.

The organisation had sent reminder notices to artists and recipients would not be able to apply for more money until the reports were received.

Creative New Zealand has refused to give details of who the money was given to or what projects the money was meant to be spent on, saying it needed to protect the artists' privacy.

National Party arts and culture spokeswoman Georgina te Heuheu said it was a lot of money to be outstanding, especially in a sector where some had doubts about how much money it should receive.

Figures also reveal that in the past five years Creative New Zealand has given $837,925 to 55 overseas groups, businesses and organisations that have applied for money.

Ms Kerr said the grants were towards New Zealand artists' participation in overseas events, exhibitions or festivals, or New Zealand components in overseas journals.

For instance, $120,000 went to the Biennale of Sydney which paid for five New Zealand artists to attend the arts festival over the past five years.